For Enrique Santamaria Echeverria, the decision to study law came from a desire to combine disciplines. Political science, economics, history—all of them fascinated him. Law, he felt, offered a little of everything. “I had to choose between law and economics,” he recalls. “I even applied to study economics in France, but my French wasn’t strong enough. So, I stayed in Colombia and studied law.”
Today, Enrique is a university lecturer in the Law & Markets department at Erasmus School of Law. His research focuses on the intersection of law, digital technology, and health. He investigates how legal frameworks can contribute to fair and collective data governance. He is also active in the SSH sector plan and The Public-Private Challenge, a collaborative programme that investigates how public and private interests can be better regulated, part of the Law sector plan.
As part of our Where Law meets (your) Business series, we showcase the many ways people at Erasmus School of Law put their expertise to work, each shaping their own business - whether that means leading research, supporting students and staff, or bridging law and practice. Where Law Meets (your) Business Let's show how colleagues at Erasmus School of Law use their expertise—in research, education, or supporting the academic community. We spoke with Enrique about interdisciplinarity, his critical perspective on "impact," and why open collaboration, between disciplines, but especially between people, is essential.
A researcher who likes to feel ‘free’
After completing his Master’s in International and Comparative Private Law at the university of Groningen, Enrique stayed in the Netherlands to pursue his PhD. “I wanted to be somewhere that gave me the freedom to follow my own ideas,” he says. That freedom, both intellectual and institutional, became a guiding principle in his academic work.
He describes himself, playfully, as someone with “promiscuous academic interests.” “I’ve been told I’m in the wrong department,” he jokes, “but I like that. I enjoy working at the intersections, with colleagues from different disciplines and faculties. My position allows for that, and it’s something I value deeply.”
His work within the Law sector plan and The Public-Private Challenge gives concrete form to this interdisciplinarity. His current research focuses on data governance and data cooperatives: how people make collective decisions about the use of sensitive data, particularly in healthcare. He investigates how public interests are defined and protected within private relationships, drawing on theories of solidarity and the commons, shared resources over which people make joint decisions and bear responsibility.
In recent work, Enrique studies new European legislation, such as the European Health Data Space, to explore how we can handle sensitive data differently in the future. Currently, data sharing often revolves around individual consent. Enrique argues that we can also approach certain types of data, such as health information, as a collective good, without forgetting that personal data always belongs to the individual. He investigates how legislation can enable the secure and responsible sharing and management of this data, with an eye for both privacy and the collective good. In his words: “I'm interested in how laws can help communities handle data responsibly, especially when it comes to such personal and powerful information as health data.
“The pursuit of knowledge is meaningful in itself”
When asked what drives him, Enrique doesn’t hesitate: “As academics - we’re not in this for the money,” he says. “We’re here because we care about knowledge.” But he’s also reflective about the broader forces shaping academia today, including the increasing pressure to demonstrate ‘impact.’
“I’m ambivalent about that term,” he says. “Of course, impact matters. But I don’t think it should be the only thing. Some research is valuable even if nobody reads it. The pursuit of knowledge, done seriously and freely, is meaningful in itself.” For Enrique, academic freedom is not just a principle, it’s a necessity. “Many of us went into research because we have stubborn characters,” he says with a smile. “We don’t want to be told what to do. We want to follow our own questions. That freedom should be protected.”
Looking ahead: with or without funding
Enrique is currently awaiting the outcome of a major NWO Veni application that would allow him to deepen his research into data cooperatives over the next three years. At the same time, he and his colleagues in the sector plan Law are bracing for uncertainty. The current funding may end soon, but Enrique is hopeful. “Even without external funding, I believe the dynamic we’ve created will continue,” he says. “We’ve built something valuable, and the faculty has shown a willingness to support it. I think there’s a future for it—maybe not in the same shape, but in spirit.”
Our business? “Maybe it could be each other”
When asked about the faculty's slogan, Enrique chooses his words carefully. "I think it's fine," he says. "But it doesn't suit everyone. And that's okay." He emphasizes that 'business' doesn't always mean collaborating with the business community; sometimes it actually means critical research into it. "Maybe we should talk more often about what meets actually means. Is it collaboration? Observation? Friction? Leave it open-ended.”
He’s clear that he feels the slogan shouldn’t be forced to apply universally. “Not everyone needs to fit the frame. As long as researchers have the freedom to define their own focus, it can work.”
At the end of the conversation, Enrique shares a reflection that connects his motivations with the slogan. "Maybe that's our business," he muses. "Talking to each other." Not just within departments, but across them. Across disciplines, perspectives, and personalities. "I wish we would engage in dialogue more often. That way, we challenge each other and strengthen the academic community," he concludes. "If we want to keep learning, we have to keep listening to each other."
